Practice Areas
Local Government
Litigation
Labor & Employment
Civil Rights Defense
Tort Litigation
Education
J.D., The UIC - John Marshall Law School
B.A., University of Illinois at Chicago
Bar & Court Admissions
Illinois
Northern District of Illinois
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Supreme Court
Our People
ShawnTe M. Raines
Partner
ShawnTe prides herself in counseling clients on best practices and giving practical legal advice.
ShawnTe began her legal career as a plaintiff’s attorney handling various personal injury claims involving auto accidents, premise liability, FELA claims, and other general torts. Since becoming a defense attorney, her experience expanded to include defense of civil rights litigation and labor and employment law matters.
ShawnTe currently serves as general counsel for Illinois municipalities and a suburban school district. In such roles, she not only manages litigation but also counsels clients regarding employment decisions, policy-making and ordinance drafting, administrative hearings, collective bargaining matters, contracts, and grievance arbitrations. ShawnTe actively manages cases from inception to disposition inclusive of motion practice, oral and written discovery, trial and appeal in federal and state court. She also acts as retained defense counsel for governmental entities.
She has successfully defended claims filed with the Illinois Department of Human Rights, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Federal District Court pursuant to Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination Employment Act, and claims arising from other constitutional violations pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §1983. Throughout her experience, she has been successful at negotiating settlements and arbitrating cases.
ShawnTe currently serves as general counsel for Illinois municipalities and a suburban school district. In such roles, she not only manages litigation but also counsels clients regarding employment decisions, policy-making and ordinance drafting, administrative hearings, collective bargaining matters, contracts, and grievance arbitrations. ShawnTe actively manages cases from inception to disposition inclusive of motion practice, oral and written discovery, trial and appeal in federal and state court. She also acts as retained defense counsel for governmental entities.
She has successfully defended claims filed with the Illinois Department of Human Rights, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Federal District Court pursuant to Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination Employment Act, and claims arising from other constitutional violations pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §1983. Throughout her experience, she has been successful at negotiating settlements and arbitrating cases.
Presentations
ShawnTe has presented at municipal, school, and other conferences on various local government topics, including the following:
- Litigation aspects of FOIA
- Liability Arising from Employment Decision Making
Publications
- "An Epic Battle: Your Zoning Code Versus Their Religion.” Illinois Municipal Review: June 2017.
- “How were we supposed to know that?! The What and How of Constructive Notice.” Illinois Municipal Review: May 2018
